Hi folks! This week’s entry is about the fascinating culture of the Minoans, but it’s also about the opportunities, dangers, and limitations of the evidence that comes to us. As someone trying to gain an understanding for a particular culture, how do you feel about the values of speculation and imagination in the face of limited evidence?

The image that attracted me was the one with the huge squid wrapping itself around the entirety of the vase. It gives the vase a suspenseful vibe but also indicts different stories behind it. To begin, one can wonder why they chose to put a squid on the vase, it is because they are pots that usually carry water or was there another reason for that choice? But it also makes one question what was the inspiration behind the image, I feel like this inspiration could be because the person saw a squid in the ocean and decided to paint it over a vase. It is even a squid or an octopus, if not, it is inspired by the immense stories of the Kraken which is a sea monster popularized in Scandinavian folklore which was a society after the Ancient Greeks. The Kraken would be bizarre but who is it to know that this person witnessed the Kraken and decided to draw it on a vase as a story to be told in the future? It gives many interpretations to their art in the prime of the Minoan society, while also showcasing how the ocean had influenced their art as other pictures indicated many different marine animals like dolphins. This made me research whether boats existed in the Bronze Age which did but how far did the Greeks go as their residencies only aligned within the Mediterranean Sea or did they explore beyond their homes?

Image is fascinating because it represents what may have passed for entertainment in ancient times specifically ancient Greece. I was drawn to the image due to its use of colors and how one can speculate as to what colors could mean and represent. The image consists of 4 figures. Those figures are a bull, and 3 people supposedly. The bull is brown while two out of the 3 people are white. The third is in red and thus is the reason for the fascination. The reasoning is because of the questions it creates such as why is the person who seems to be performing on the bull colored in while the other two are in white? Could the coloring be a racial thing? Could it be the person in red was white along with the rest of them but something happened to make a color change from white to red? The coloring choices may not be to represent anything and the colors were chosen because they were available. Those are answers we may never know and it could not be as serious as I make it out to be. However, if the colors have meaning and represent something then it could give insight into what Minoan society was like and its makeup of people. One interpretation of this image is that entertainment may have come in the form of performing on the bull that is either tamped or restricted from wild movement. The image does suggest precautions were taken into consideration if three were meant for this entertainment. The two people in white, one in front of the bull and the other in the back may be there to help tame the bull so the performer can put on a good show. This image could represent the earliest form of entertainment seen in the circus and the sport of bull riding. If we had the context behind the colors then what this means would be very straightforward and not left to many educated guesses and hypotheses.

Out of all the images, I chose the Minoan Stattuete Snake Goddess. What caught my attention about it was the detail of the female figure and the snakes she’s firmly grasping in both of her hands. Also, I noticed some similarities between it and other depictions of goddesses from the Near East. My interpretation of the artifact is that she is a depiction of a ‘mother goddess’ for three reasons, namely, the female figure’s large, exposed breasts which imply fertility, the dog perched on top of her head representing loyalty, and the significance of her firmly grasping the two snakes as a source of ‘motherly’ protection. I believe this representation reveals the Minoans had a ‘mother goddess’ who held preeminence in their eyes, and the goddess had a potential connection with a priesthood. I really hope to one day figure out her identity and learn where she stood in the Minoan’s understanding of the order of things.

The image I’m choosing to write about is the last image. I chose this image because it’s a beautiful painting of three women. The women are dressed in bright, lavish clothing, with a lot of jewelry. Their hair is done and their breasts are also exposed. In my opinion, this image depicts women of the Minoan society who are of the upper class. These ladies look rich, and important. The women could also be at some kind of event, as it appears they are looking in different directions, and their arms seem to be in mid movement. I would like to find out more about women’s roles and their influence in Minoan society.

I will write about the image of Dolphins, I felt drawn to it because it stuck out to me compared to the rest of the images. When I think of the Minoans, a society that we heavily associate with the bull and minotaur so art of something that is not that immediately draws my interest. The image to me appears to portray dolphins swimming at the bottom of the sea along side some other fish. The mouth of all the dolphins is drawn more like a birds beak than as a mouth and I really like the design. It is so interesting to see how ancient people drew animals, maybe they painted dolphins from a description rather than having seen one first-hand. The image to me shows an appreciation of the Dolphin, to have it swimming at the bottom of the sea shows it as a being that travels the waters so freely. I would love to know in what room was this image found, was it by a port or was this image found more inland.

The image I am choosing to write about is The Bull-leaping fresco. What drew me to this particular image was how complete and intricate it seems. In addition to that, its stunning beauty, and carefully crafted details caught my attention. The shade of blue is also very common, even today, in Greek aesthetics. Bulls seem to have had a very special meaning in their society. The painting may hold clues to some form of religious or sports practice. The artist seems to want to convey a very important message given the size and grandeur of the fresco, which adds to its importance and relevance. This would be my favorite interpretation since bull depiction is so ubiquitous in ancient Greece.

I would like to find out more about the artist and his motives in the creation of the fresco. Who participated in the practice of bull leaping? Whether a sport or religious ritual, which in Greece both can intertwine, who participated? Was it a ritual, or rite of passage reserved for some or a communal practice?

The image I chose is that of dolphins. What attracted me to this image were its colors. I like the different details that the artist made in each fish.

This image makes me think that the artist liked the sea and its inhabitants and wanted to reflect it in his painting.

I like this art and the little research I did is that some people see it as a symbol of friendship and solidarity since dolphins are very friendly animals.

Something I would like to discover is what was really the inspiration of the artist when painting his work, what was going through his head at that moment and how he felt when he captured his art on the canvas.

The image that I chose for this week's response is the Octopus Flask. What drew me to this image was all the questions you ask yourself after seeing such detailed work for this time period. I ask myself, what was the flask used for? Did the artist see the creature? Did he capture it ?.  

I believe this image shows a sea creature that probably had been captured at sea or washed up on the shore. The reason I think this is because the work is too detailed, and the artist must have gotten a good look at the whole creature to have drawn such a detailed picture on the Flaks. 

I interpret that this creature caused fear, respect, and admiration to Minoan society. In the picture the creature looks huge, scary, and powerful. As they draw this creature with such detail on a flask that is used on regular, it gives me also the impression that it was a way to show respect. The Octopus on flask could’ve also been drawn as reminder to show the Minoans the power of the sea and of the dangers it might bring. 

I would like to find out if the Minoans drew these pictures as symbols of their culture and what these pictures meant to them. Also find out any possibility to translate their language and have a better understanding of this society. 

It was tough to choose because I was instantly drawn to two images. One being the dolphin piece and the last, which has the three figures. I ultimately chose the dolphin image because it tells a story and a world that exist under water. I like that the dolphins look like they have a type of armor- something different from the other fishes; it definitely sets them aside. Some possibilities the image could depict is the abundance in sea life. Possibly dolphins being native to these lands. Or for a fisherman, there's plenty of catch equalling in a lot of food for home, to sell or trade. If it were true, I think the Minoan society lived harmonious with everything including the sea in which they share. The image shows an array of fishes, what looks like a coral reef, waves and land. A possible beach that is well known. Clear water that would also indicate a healthy habitat for the animals to thrive in. This image also could give insight into their resources as a society. I would like to find out why the dolphins have a different detailing than the rest. What is the motive and inspirations behind the image. Was it meant to capture a time in place, maybe indicating the first ever dolphin siting.

The image I am choosing to write about is the second one depicting dolphins. What drew me to choosing this image was the fact that the one who created this piece purposefully made the dolphins pop by giving them a outline and leaving the other fishes in the background dull. My favorite interpretation of this image is that the Minoans believed that dolphins were a higher species compared to other sea life. Whether the dolphins had a higher connection as a religious viewpoint or in other ways, my interpretation leads me to believe that dolphins were viewed as special beings. I would like to know who made these images because that could tell us if this was made from someone who actually saw dolphins in the water, if this was how they were perceived, or if this was just how dolphins were described to someone who has never seen them.

The Minoan picture I chose was the image that appears to have dolphins and also color fishes surrounding the dolphins. What drew me to this image was how detailed the artist made the dolphins and the fishes. The artist added a range of different colors to the fishes and to the dolphins with a dark blue and white. They also depicted the accuracy to how the sea animals physically looked.

this image could possible depict the artist fascination of the sea animals they could of encountered and wanted to capture their beauty in their art.

My favorite interpretation is that the Minoans could have used their art as another form of documenting their first hand encounters to tell a story visually. The insight I feel the Minoan society might give is through their art they showed creativity and depicted many details visually that you would be able to know they existed. As there may not be any written documentation of their work nor language, you are able to understand in their artwork of the animals and people depicted that displays a story and also is physical proof of their existence.

What I would like to find out more about to help understand the images from the Minoans is an accurate backstory of meaning behind the works created. Although their is no way to get an backstory but only one’s interpretation of the images, an accurate backstory would help with the insight to some images Minoans depicted.

The image I chose to write about is the very last image with the three women. What drew me to this image was not only the fact that we haven't reviewed an image with only women in it, but how vibrant the painting is and the different jewelry/ accessories that these women have on. Some possibilities for what that image might depict is that these three are sisters and are possibly just being painted to show off the different accessories and how the women dressed during this time period. With the bracelets, headpieces and necklaces, this image is highlights the fashion and color worn. My favorite interpretation was the highlights of art and huge use of different colors within these pieces of art and it can help give insight that not only was art a big part of the Minoan society, but with the different forms of "fashion" and clothing, looking like a lady and feeling like a woman was prioritized. The girls are also posing which adds on to the energetic art as when people/animals are involved in the images, there is always some sort of movement going on.

The image that I’m choosing to write about is the clay vase  artifact depicting the large Octopus design , and what really drew me to that image is the appreciation for its uniqueness , and detail . The fact that this was created thousands of years ago and that the product is as detailed as it is , shows  someone very much took their time and put effort into this .

My favorite way to interpret this image  is that the Minoans were a civilization which placed heavy attention to detail as far as architecture and  art . Since most of Minoan culture was absorbed by the Greeks  , such a piece that is so heavily detailed , leads me to believe they held heavy appreciation and emphasis on the aesthetic arts similar to the Greek city states that would arise down the line . However  such a piece also leads me to believe the Minoans also engaged in passing down mythology orally as the design resembles a Kraken like creature . 

I’d like to learn more about Minoan religion and deities they worshipped as I wonder  

whether this could have been a mythological scary story passed on ( as I’m lead to believe ) , a creature a Minoan actually encountered and attempted to depict , or perhaps the Minoans mythological interpretation of a sea god .

• I chose The Leaping Bull because it drew me to the past and our discussion in the last class. I can imagine how the people back then used to entertain themselves and how creative they were. It makes me think about us today when we go to a stadium to watch our favorite sport. How happy everyone around becomes without thinking about anything else, but the sport. The Crete people seemed not to be different from us today.
• The Leaping Bull is a life-like representation, colorful, ordered, realistic, and pattern. The fact in the painting is the pattern repetition, and also we see the acrobatic person that leaps on the top of the bull is well prepared and trained for that sport. It may have many people around watching this kind of sport. In our present time, many countries have this kind of sport; the well-known is Spain for bullfighting and the running of the bulls. The ancient society that created and planted the idea of all sports we have today, seems to not be different. We just created many other sports based on the past. 
• Maybe the competition was to see who leaps on the bull better without falling. The Minoan society was competing to make their country better than the rest of the world. They probably wanted to compete to show how strong their economy was and to show others how strong they were. 
• I would like to know more about the destruction, the palace, and how it looked like when was intact before the destruction, and after the death of many. What happened to painting? Where in the palace this image might have been, and if this is only a picture from the original paintings?

The image I chose to talk about is the Vase with octopus. I was drawn to this image because my favorite figure in Greek mythology is Posidon, and this image reminds me of him. Some can interpret this image as an actual octopus or look at it like it's the Kraken from various mythos. It looks like the Kraken. I think some insight this image gives us on the Minoan society is that they could have used these images to tell a story or capture significant events. Something I would like to know is who painted the image. Was it a famous artist or a regular a person.

The painting that I chose below is the painting with the bull and three people. What this painting could be saying about the Minoans is that they value bull leaping as a collective. The writing of the Minoans is not able to be read so their paintings and art hold much importance. Notice the primary colors all around the border to bring emphasis to the painting. This juxtaposition of red, blue and yellow makes the person on the bull that much more noticeable. The man is red and is seen on top of the bull. The person could possibly be attempting to keep his balance while on the bull. The Minoans are known for going away from the city to go to sacred spaces and worship. After the worship in sacred cities they would return back to their cities. The way I see it the Minoans knew what it means to have balance and portion out their time as humans. The painting could have an underlying meaning such as the one I have brought up concerning balance. The bull-leaping is also symbolic of an animal that portrays the power of nature. What the painting also suggests about the Minoans is they put effort into making happy art. We see evidence of this by the calm nature of the people in the painting. 

The Image of the leaping bull immediately caught my attention, like many I associate the bull with Spain, and to be honest, that image of the bull reminds me of the children’s movie Ferdinand which features several bulls and is set in Spain.  Mention Spain, yet this is a course on Ancient Greece, the image shows how interconnected Europe is, A bull has no business living on an Island yet, the Minoans at the least had access to one to create this painting. So, to me, this proves that there was access to other mainland countries, and trade outside of Greece is apparent. With trade, you can make assumptions about Greece's early impact on nearby civilizations and vice versa. I like to dig deeper into these primary sources because the evidence allows for a deeper understanding of the content and possibly debunks any misconceptions about Europe and the Mediterranean.

• The image that I'm going to write about is the one of the dolphins. I want to write about this one because it was not one we discussed in class and also I think it is pleasant to look at.
• I think this image is trying to depict a portion of the sea, one wrought with dolphins, different sea-life, and even urchins or kelp on the sea floor. The Minoans could just be trying to idealize the sea in their eyes and showcase all the great sea-life they might encounter around their island. Since we know, or can assume, that the Minoans idealized or even worshiped nature we can make the connection that they might have made frescos like this to showcase their pastoral lifestyle and their connection to the natural world.
• My favorite interpretation is a relatively simple one. I like to think that an artist took to sea one day and happened upon a pod of dolphins and was so enamored with what they saw that they depicted the image on a wall in the palace of Knossos.
• If we could translate the Minoan texts we might be able to find out more about their lifestyle and be able to piece together more of their culture. Why they did what they did, what they worshiped, how they lived their lives, what kind of activities they took part in. So much is left unanswered by these images and artifacts simply because we have no translated written documents to refer to.

For this response I chose the black vase with the big octopus on it. To me this artifact would suggest the Minoans were an early seafaring people considering their location was Crete and/or the surrounding area gives credence to this. The lifeblood of the civilization is intricately connected to the water for food, trade and transportation. Konssus was quite impressive for the time period it was created and built in.

But, also looking at this image can also present more obstacles than answers which, I do not like. I wish I had take this class prior to taking Ancient Rome for one reason: Ancient Rome is more solidly based on a written history than Ancient Greece. So, as we see in this image there is more speculation than actually definitive answers due to fragmented information. It makes me wonder a few things about the Minoans:

1. Did the Minoans believe that something like an octopus was linked to the Gods or a god itself?
2. How well did the Minoans understand what actually existed beneath the surface of the sea?
3. How well did Minoans understand maps and navigation and scientific realities that we know of today?